Back Pain Linked to Aggression in Horses

Say what you will about homeopathic medicine and other non-traditional remedies, they can really make a difference!

I attended a talk given by Myles Herman this past weekend.  He spoke about his experiences and the hundreds and hundreds of horses he has worked on over the years.  It was amazing to listen to – hearing about how he had helped horses and riders improve their relationships by facilitating better communication.  He posits – and so does an article in the January 2011 edition of Equus Magazine – that bad behavior is, at times, a horse’s way of communicating that they’re in pain. 

According to a study done in France, 76% of their equine test subjects suffering from “severe vertebral problems” displayed aggressive behavior (the behaviors they used to classify “aggressive” are listed in the article itself - http://ca.zinio.com/pages/Equus/Jan-11/416149026/pg-10).  I don’t know about you but I find it a little disturbing that when training my horse, some of our “heated discussions” may have been because she was in pain rather than merely being difficult.

Myles ended his talk with a demonstration on a 6 year old Thoroughbred mare - who had the back drop that made her look 11.  She had raced briefly but was off the track before she turned 3.  Myles took his time, got to know the horse and spoke to the owner before he started his own physical evaluation.  After only a few minutes though, he had pinpointed trouble areas in her right shoulder, vertebrae and TMJ (basically the jaw area).  He did some quick manipulations and we had the opportunity to see the mare visibly sigh, close her eyes, and relax.  It was amazing to see such a profound reaction from just a few minutes with Myles.  Makes me wonder what would happen in a full hour! 

It’s definitely something to consider that when showing aggressive behavior, maybe your horse isn’t being difficult or mean, maybe they’re just in pain. I don’t know about you but I can be pretty grumpy when my back hurts!  Personally, I’d prefer to double check and make sure my horse isn’t in pain before I up the anty training-wise. 

My horse has been off most of the last 2 years recovering from an injury.  I plan on bringing him back this spring and hope to start training in dressage again.  After seeing Myles work on that Thoroughbred mare, I think it would be a great idea to have him out to see my horse before I put him back to work.  This way I know we’re starting out on the right foot and that I’ve done everything I can to make him happy, (cue sappy ending) because I know he always does his best to make me happy.